001Good evening everyone. Welcome to the special session. I appreciate you all coming out this evening. I officially call this meeting to order at 538. Secretary Nolan, will you please take the role? Miss Tenorio. Present. Mr. Member Frank. Secretary Nolan is here vice president lawford yes president. And Vice president I'm here as well. We're all here. We have a forum. First of all I would like to entertain a motion to approve the April 8th, 2026 agenda. So moved. Second. Moved by Vice President Lawford, seconded by Mr. Frank Kramer all in favor please indicate by saying I. All opposed. Thank you. I would also like to entertain a motion to approve the March 24th, 2026 regular session minutes. So moved. Moved by Mr. Frank. Bam president Yes. We put these in the >>. Electronically. Yes. Thank you.
002Yes. Do I have a second for that? I thought I'll find it. . That's all right. That's quite all right. It is seconded by Mr. Nolan. All in favor please indicate by saying I. I. All opposed?. Thank you. The ayes have it. Due to the limited purpose of this special meeting, to receive community input regarding whether Cesar Chavez's name should be removed from the elementary school a public comment will be limited to this agenda topic. All the points on this agenda topic are welcome. The public comments shall be limited to three minutes per individual speaker however, the board president may further restrict these time limits, based on the number of requests received at the start of the meeting. The Board President may come up for example, reduce the amount of time for individual comments to
003less than three minutes per speaker and limit the total amount of time for public comments at this point, we are going to keep our minutes to three. If you prepare three minutes, you are good to go. The board will not be taking any action this evening, regarding removal of the name Cesar Chavez elementary, or changing the name? Should the board take action to remove the name Cesar Chavez Elementary School at a future Board of Education meeting, there will be opportunities for the public to contribute to the process of selecting a new name. At this time, this meeting is specifically to get public input on possible name removal only. So, I will be calling people up in the order that they turned in their papers. Our first speaker today is Mr. Juan Garcia. Madam chair, chairman
004board members. Attendance. In late 2020, Juan Garcia. In late 2025, the where foundation faced a major legal battle. Ruth Sanchez a former employer, filed a wrongful termination commonly whistle lawsuit back in March 2026, Zwarte age 95, publicly alleged that Cesar Chavez sexually abused during the 60s. Do the math. The accusation is from a 95 year old, about something that supposedly happened more than 60 years ago, aimed at a man who has been dead for three decades. Let that sink in. Maybe the claims are true. Maybe they aren't. Maybe the truth sits somewhere in the middle? Either way, we are never going to get a clear answer correct why is Las cautious considering erasing the name of a school that honors a Mexican American icon? A man who fought for farm workers rights? What is behind
005this push? Is it because Cesar Chavez criticized illegal immigration? Or is it followed from the MeToo era, where unproven accusations were enough to condemn anyone? Estimated cost for the change is 22 30,000. This has been posted. Are these tax dollars? I assume they are. Is it worth $30,000 for some board members to score political points? Or, leave the name as is come and invest those dollars in something needed by our kids? Leave the name as is. Thank you. [Applause] Our next speaker is our next comment, sorry. Mr. Rick vino. This is deja Vu all over again. Anyway come on my name is Richard. Good evening Madam Clerk. Superintendent Reese, and board members. I'm here to speak against possible renaming of Cesar Chavez Elementary. For several reasons. First, a local law enforcement officer stated it well.
006Cesar Chavez charges from 60 years ago. He died 30 years ago. He needs to mount his defense by Wednesday. Today. So come on why not take the time to gather all the facts, that seems prudent for my second, what happened to Annette high school is germane today. I was there during the innate high school renaming. I saw the work of raising awareness. Raising funds, petitions. Thousands of hours of work, not hundreds. Not 900. Thousands of man hours. I did about 1%, but I saw who did the heavy lifting. It was an 8020 issue. 80% of the parents, students, faculty, and citizens were against the name change. They all thought they were participating in democracy, but were met with a slap in the face . I do have a school to rename. Rename Organ Mountain High
007School to enchanté high school I begin to heal the trauma caused to the Hispanic community. Thank you. [Applause] Next up, we have Gil Weaver. Hello school board and district Reese. How are you all this evening? Bam clearly, this has been a ridiculously political issue, for a lot of people. Okay? I teach high school. I don't get the students until they are ready to go out into the world. I can guarantee you, that the names we use communicate to our students. If they know that our district is perfectly happy with keeping someone who probably did what he was accused of, okay? If we would start listening to women, wouldn't we have a much better world right now? I can tell you that teenagers think this is kind of a stupid idea. You know what? Teenagers think
008everything's a stupid idea. Especially when they are in a group. I've talked to a lot of them personally. And come individually. They want the adults in their lives to do the thing that is right. Sexually abusing and mistreating women for decades is not right. It is up to you all, to please help all those little girls who feel unseen, to feel more sane. Also, think about this. The boys don't want to behave that way. The boys don't want to think that is what men are all about. We are not doing them any favors by letting this name stay where it is. I urge you, please consider changing the name. I know you don't want to talk about specifics tonight. I'd also say, while you're thinking, maybe don't name schools after people? Maybe a nice animal?
009Or, a nice event from history? I don't know. I'm just saying. In a world where people aren't always what they seem to be, we need to start listening. We need to start doing what is best for all students. Mexican students, white students, boy students. Girl students. Transgender. Nonbinary. They all should have a place. They all should feel safe. Thank you for your attention. [Applause] Next, Stephanie. Donna. Good evening school board members superintendent Reese. My name is Stephanie Cardona. I've been here at Cesar Chavez as counselor for the past 16 years. I'm here to say that I'm not in favor of the renaming of our school. My question is come in the last board meeting, it was said that the board would take the opinions of staff, students, and community members however it was then said
010that the policy states, the school board has the final decision so my question is -- how much is our opinion actually matter? [Applause] Lacy parks? Good evening board members. To the members of the school board come on let me introduce myself I'm Melissa Parks. I'm the P.E. Teacher at the school. I have been at Cesar Chavez for almost 14 years. I would like it to be known that I'm against the name change of our school for me it's not about the allegations or the politics involved which are impossible to prove or disprove, because Cesar Chavez has been passed away for more than 30 years. A trial is impossible. For me, being against the name change is about the funding at the most recent staffing meeting our administration was told that we would be losing one
011second grade bilingual teacher and three kindergarten aeas, due to the lack of funding. However, now we are considering a name change that would include rebranding which would be a significant financial commitment, if the does not have money to let our school keep the teachers that we have now? However, as was demonstrated with the name changing of innate to Oregon Mountain, the school board will be the final decision makers in what happens with our school name, just as they were at the high school change school name change, despite 80% of the community not being in favor of the name change. With that being said my only request is to refrain from naming the school after another person. To our board member who suggested that we name our school after Dolores Huerta can I ask you to
012please reconsider, and do some research you no, Dolores Huerta Foundation in the middle of the lawsuit for allegations of wrongful termination, retaliation, labor law violations, and mismanagement of funds filed by her former employee Ruth Sanchez. The suit claims that she was forced into unpaid labor and faced retaliation after raising concerns about misuse of grants. I disagree with the name change and feel that the finances could be used elsewhere to actually benefit the students of this school. Let us keep our name and our teachers. How does name change benefit the students of Cesar Chavez? I invite you to also take a step outside to our backfield. I feel that as Miss Cardona already said I do feel that our opinions are not as valued as we think they are? I invite you to step back onto
013our field and look at the mountains? We've been blessed with the name Mountain View Elementary. Very few other schools in our district have mountains that we do. We do have the mountain views that we do. They are breathtaking. Thank you. [Applause] Lisa Weinbaum. Madam president. School board members. Superintendent Reese. I -- this is my 29th year here teaching for Las Cruces Public Schools. I stand before you, humiliated. Probably not for the reasons that you think. I graduated from the Ohio State University I recently returned to Ohio and I was reminded that plastered on several campus buildings, is the name Wexner the Wexner Medical Center the Wexner Center for the Arts and from the Les Wexner Football Complex for those of you unfamiliar, Les Wexner is the founder of Victoria's Secret, famous for its lingerie, and
014was Jeffrey Epstein's primary financial client for 20 years. Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are. I am humiliated, because my Alma mater has denied request to remove his name from campus buildings. Buildings prioritizing dollars over human life. But here we are in Las Cruces, not Ohio we have an elementary school filled with bright and beautiful children named after an individual who has been accused of sexual abuse and rape, of over 60 people, spanning decades including, native New Mexican and United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta along with victims as young as 12 and 13. Not much older than the children attending this school according to the New York Times, DNA evidence has been used to substantiate the victim's claims, and United Farm workers have acknowledged these allegations. In light
015of this new information, an elementary school -- or any school for that matter, has no business honoring Cesar Chavez. According to historian James Loewen, monuments intrinsically includes an element of consecration, which not only sanctifies the past, but also sanctions future actions what one generation puts on the landscape, first becomes the force imprisoning the minds of generations that follow. I asked that you do the right thing, and remove Cesar Chavez's name from this building. And my Alma mater. Show more chords on my Alma mater, thank you very much. [Applause] Guadalupe. Is it Orozco? I can't quite read the last name. Is that correct, Guadalupe Orozco? Welcome. Hi. All I have to say is come on why we spent so much money? Could you move forward? I'm sorry, so we can hear you. Thank you so much.
016I just want to say come on why spend so much money on renaming a school, that this has happened so many years ago? Is it just fixing physical? For us, teachers that work here we need a lot of things here. Go to the pay band. We need a better playground. Walls need to be painted? Walls need to be fixed. Instead of spending that money, renaming the school -- think about the kids here. What they need. Not about a name. That is all I have to say. [Applause] Thank you all for coming tonight. That is it for the people who have signed the forms for public comment we appreciate your time, we certainly appreciate your input thanks again for being here. I would like to entertain a motion to adjourn this meeting. There is no other
017public. No? We might invite public comment , if anyone would like, just to make sure? Okay. Absolutely absolutely. Has anyone arrived? Did anyone arrive before or after the forms were distributed come and would like to speak? We have a table in the back. Yes. Come on up. Yeah. My name is Jim Hurst. I am a fan of history. Usually, I know the name of the person before I know what they did. Cesar Chavez did a lot of great union organizing work. You may want to consider the name United Farm Workers Elementary, if you are allowed to use the name. In any case, what we name things says a lot about who we are. Who we admire, whose work we want to memorialize. If the allegations against him are true, and I believe people like Dolores
018Huerta, when she says something is true. I cannot imagine a better witness for the state. If I had to Lewis Herta accusing me of something, I would plead out. [Laughs] She's a very credible witness. She suffered for the cause as Cesar Chavez did. I don't think she's lying. Kids need to know that certain things are simply unacceptable. They will blemish your name forever if you do certain things, no one will want to associate with you. Sexual harassment is one of those things. We have to protect the women in our community. So, you need to change the name, because we are saying -- this is unacceptable. This is unacceptable in our community. We will not honor your name if you do this. Thank you very much. Thank you Mr. Hearst. [Applause] Is there is there anyone
019else? Yes Ma'am could you please state your name when you come forward? Thank you. I came in but I wasn't sure that I wanted to speak I'm sitting here and taking it all in I'm still learning more about the situation could you state your name my name is Alice? Sorry my name is Alice Khaled.a. O a r a I grew up here this year is our 50th high school reunion 1976 I was I was so disappointed to learn that you all had changed the name from Anna.k, because even though there's a lot of history? People can't be perfect human beings then it was changed to Oregon. I was reminded that his wife actually named the Oregon Mountains. Anyway. I have a lot of questions about $20,000 is supposed to be what the name change cost.
020Is that really what's going to happen I think you guys need to get the walls painted you've heard from teachers more people that showed up that really don't care for this change oh I don't think it's important I also want to suggest is there a way to maybe survey all of the parents and the teachers? Are they for this or against this? This is all strictly up to you because you've stated from your other meetings. This is decision is in your hands. I think about anybody here. All of you guys can you still hear me? Year from now how would you like if 50 or 60 years from now somebody accuse you of something we don't know maybe true. I don't know. The DNA. I want to talk to you. This woman. I want to
021find out about the DNA. I just have a question my we I have a lot of questions. You're my representative maybe I will email you with some questions comment you can get back to me. I don't have any kids I wasn't blessed with kids I love this we moved back here we lived in Arizona 30 plus years can we move back here in 2022 Las Cruces is still a wonderful community it really is. I've been very disappointed in some of the things that have been done with our school system. For last. Our whole entire state man you guys we've got to fix this it's not good I'm not thinking that just one person can do it it's going to take all of us as a community. I look forward to communicating with you on Tenorio
022I appreciate all of you getting up to serve I've held off as before. It is not easy. Okay? It is tough. Thank you before you do anything, I appreciate the public comment meetings I hope you have more I hope you get to directly talk to the parents and the teachers and the kids come at two who live here and work here. So this is so important. Thank you again thank you to all of you guys that came out here, I think it is wonderful that you showed up. I appreciate all of you, no matter what side of the issue that you are on. Have a wonderful night. God bless you. [Applause] Is there anyone else? All right. Thank you all for coming. We so appreciate your input. And, your time. It's always important. Thank you
023for coming. I would like to entertain a motion to adjourn this meeting. So moved. Seconded by Mr. Wofford. All in favor please indicate by saying I. I. Opposed. All right. Our meeting is adjourned at 603. Thank you.